Slightly Sweetened: There Is a Snake on Alemdag

By Sait Faik

"A loneliness has enveloped the whole world. To love, everything begins with loving one person. And everything ends with loving one person."

From the unshakeable sorrow of a man encountering ghosts on a train journey, to a young man's quest for life's 'slightly sweetened' taste as he notices a waiter trying to appear older than his age, to love's defeat against poverty, to a street sweeper's moral reckoning after being forced to part with his dearest friend, a dog...

In these stories, Sait Faik Abasıyanık portrays the individual's detachment amidst crowds, life's bittersweet mixture, and humanity's deepest desires. For some, life is a lottery; for others, a hospital report.

The author transports the reader from Istanbul's backstreets, to the bustling anticipation of Haydarpaşa Station, from the clean air of Alemdağ, to the mirrored cinemas of Beyoğlu.

The story of those who seek themselves, those who get lost in others, and ultimately, the inevitable 'companion' created by loneliness:

"What should we do? Let's imagine that one day, we will live in a world built of hearts beating with a sense of humanity, of friendships, of people, animals, trees and birds, and grass."

A Sait Faik classic; with a subtle smile and a deep ache.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: B0G2HG6TW2
• ISBN13: 9798274571050
• Release Date: November 2025
• Publisher: Independently Published
• Length: 112 Pages
• Weight: 0.35 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.2" x 6.0" x 9.0"